Did Franz Kafka’s stories stem from a difficult childhood, a rage-filled time? A century after his death, they continue to warn against unchecked authoritarianism and of how we still struggle with inclusivity.
Which version of “The Metamorphosis” or “Crime and Punishment” should you choose? In a particularly well-stocked library or bookshop, you could find many different English translations.
"I sit in my room in the headquarters of the noise of the whole apartment . My father bursts through the door to my room and passes through, his robe trailing . the ashes are being scraped out of the stove in the next room … there is shouting one word after the other through the foyer. Father is gone; now the subtler, more diffuse, more hopeless noise begins, led by the voices of two canaries"